


Trusting the Charlatan

by chenria



Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M, Pining, lots of heartache, ryder needs to figure out that she wants to trust reyes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-14 01:59:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10526517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chenria/pseuds/chenria
Summary: Because of how I see my Sahara Ryder and her choices and reactions to certain events surrounding Reyes Vidal I changed a few aspects of the canon story. Here is my take on how I see them start a romance/relationship after Reyes Vidal became the new leader of Kadara Port.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am not usually keen to write things and share my writing with the world... so I hope it's not too badly written. 
> 
> I listened to five songs on repeat while writing this:  
> "Dernière Danse" (Indila), "Paint it Black" (Rolling Stones), "Pompeji" (Bastille), "Up" (Olly Murs ft. Demi Lovato), "This is War" (30 Seconds to Mars)

“Get her out of here. Prepare the crew. Kadara Port is ours tonight.” Reyes giving clipped, precise commands to his people pulled Sahara Ryder back out of her momentary stupor. Had she really just let Reyes kill Sloane? True, the woman was never one of her favorite people... but nobody deserved to die in an ambush. She had agreed to a duel between two people.  
Sahara’s eyes went back to Reyes who was discussing something with another man in hushed whispers.  
She looked back down at Sloane and her dead eyes stared at her in silent accusation. Why did she let it happen? 

Reyes looked at Sahara with a confidence she had not yet seen in his eyes. He seemed different. Well... Up until a few minutes ago she had thought he was a thief, a smuggler... she had known that he was far from a saint... but she would have never thought that he was the Charlatan. His expression showed that he knew he no longer needed to pretend around her. Reyes walked past her with calm and measured steps. There was nothing that betrayed any kind of regret about killing his rival. He didn’t even spare her another glance. 

Sahara looked at Sloane one last time and murmured a brief apology that would never be heard before following Reyes and falling in step close behind him. Silence spread as they walked with seemingly nowhere in particular. 

“Guess you got everything you wanted.” Sahara’s voice sounded dry even to her. She felt betrayed. He had used her like one of his puppets. All of her thoughts were in turmoil as she looked at his back. He had stopped as she had spoken to him but he hesitated to turn around. 

“What I want is peace,” he finally said with a voice that sounded almost as if he had had no other choice. “Sloane would have brought war to Heleus. We don’t have the population to survive that.”

Sahara looked at him for a long moment. There seemed more reason to this than her mind was able to process right at that moment. She knew he might even be right. Sahara saw something change in the way he now looked at her. His gaze softened, losing some of the previous confidence. All of a sudden she remembered how they had kissed not too long ago, how he had looked at her that night. Her lips still tingled whenever she thought back to the intoxicating kisses they had shared. 

“Why didn’t you trust me?” Sahara finally said with a voice that sounded almost desperate even in her own ears. 

There was a hint of a sad smile on his lips as Reyes looked at her. And for a moment Sahara had the feeling he wanted to reach out to her, cup her cheek like he had done before. But he stopped himself. “I liked the way you looked at me. I was afraid that would change.”

Sahara didn’t know what he saw in her eyes right now. Regret? Sadness? Uncertainty? Betrayal? A broken heart?  
He had just killed a woman who had agreed to his terms of a duel. “You lied to me...” was all Sahara could say and she averted her eyes to the ground as she turned around. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Liam and Jaal waiting for her. 

“Sahara...” Reyes followed her a step but she looked over her shoulder and just shook her head. 

Liam and Jaal followed in step behind her as she passed them and walked back into the light of Kadara, out of the dark cave. The Nomad stood not far from the entrance, gleaming in the sunlight. 

The smell of sulfur stung in her nose and even though the Remnant Pillars helped to start cleaning the atmosphere and the planet it would take a long while before the smell of rotten eggs was fully gone. Sahara wondered if she would live to see Kadara change for the better - at least in terms of viability . Her thoughts flashed back to Sloane. Would she end up in one of the sulfur springs as well? Deposed like so many others to never be found again? 

Sahara looked back to the cave once more. Reyes had not followed her. Why would he? He got what he wanted. Power. Kadara Port. Ridded himself of his most dangerous rival. Sahara knew that she should not feel so much regret of leaving. But her heart ached. The feeling of betrayal hurt and she fought back tears that started to sting in her eyes. She had thought he was ... what exactly? It had felt so real when they had kissed. His smiled had looked so genuine. But maybe that was all just part of a plan? The Charlatan had probably planned this all along. To use the Pathfinder to trick Sloane into the cave. What a fool she had been to fall for him, to believe there was more to his smile and charms and kisses. 

Sahara looked away from the cave and nodded to Liam who just gestured at the Nomad. What an easy prey she had been. She had fallen right into the trap of a man who knew how to play with people, who was used to get what he wanted - and whom he wanted. 

“Where to now?” Jaal asked as they said in the Nomad and Sahara had started the engine. 

“Back to the Tempest,” Sahara just said and didn’t look back to the cave as she let the wheels of the Nomad spin on the loose ground before speeding down the hills. 

_“Pathfinder, this area can be mined for resources,”_ SAM’s voice suddenly sounded through the Nomad and Sahara slammed on the breaks killing the engine in the process. From Liam and Jaal came silent curses of surprise and Jaal had apparently hit his head on the ceiling of the Nomad. 

“Just... don’t...,” Sahara said after a moment and blinked to keep the tears from spilling. Her eyes were fixed on the rubble path ahead of them. “SAM, disable the scan for resources until we reach the Tempest.” 

“Understood, Pathfinder,” SAM replied with the even, automated voice and Sahara restarted the engine. 

Liam and Jaal exchanged a silent glance and were considerate enough to not to try to engage their Pathfinder in any more conversation on the way back to Kadara Port and the Tempest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of how I needed to develop the scene Reyes needed to send the message earlier than he does in the game.  
> But this chapter is more Sahara questioning her life choices and trying to figure out what she wants... there will be more Reyes again in chapter 3...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs I listened to while writing this (I might have a weird and questionable taste in music...)  
> "In the End" (Linkin Park), "Lost in the Fire" (Bastille), "Somebody that I used to know" (Gotye feat. Kimbra), "Still Waiting" (Sum 41), "Disturbia" (Rhianna)

Sahara had spent most of the days it took to get to the Nexus in her quarters. Liam had compiled a list of songs for her which were supposedly meant to cheer her up. She appreciated the gesture but didn’t really listen to the music. She didn’t feel like cheering up. 

A few minutes ago Kallo had reported that they had reached the Zheng He system and were en route to the Nexus. In moments like this Sahara was glad her crew worked efficiently and well even without her constant direct orders. They had kept her distance most of the past days, only approached her when really necessary - or when Sahara appeared in the crew quarters to get something to eat. 

With a sigh Sahara leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling above her. She had read the message on her terminal’s screen countless times by now, she knew every word of it and tried to wrap her mind around what they might mean. 

“Everything’s in place protection-wise for your new outpost. In port, trade is up and morale is good. Our partnership is working out on all fronts. Not that I had any doubt,” the first part of the message from Reyes Vidal read. All was good and well as it seemed. Sahara had already received messages from the Nexus as to what she was thinking about her plans to establish an outpost among exiles. But that wasn’t the part of the message that had kept her awake for two days now. 

“You keep playing the hero, and I’ll make sure Kadara stays ours.”  
Sahara sat up straight again and read the line again. Was he mocking her when he called her “hero”? And what did he mean with “ours” in this part? Did he still mean the fragile bond that was building between the Initiative and the Collective or something else?  
She had spent so much time thinking about it she was probably starting to read too much into it. It couldn’t be an attempt for a peace-offering. That didn’t seem like his style. 

Sahara stood from her chair and paced the room aimlessly before sitting back down. She felt trapped. 

Reyes Vidal was a dangerous man. Sahara touched her lips and let out a sigh. The way he had kissed her that night at Sloane’s party had felt so honest. Still... Kissing him had been the most irrational thing Sahara had done in a long time. For a moment it had felt as if she had managed to even surprise a man like Reyes. But when his first reaction of disbelief had melted he had drawn her into a kiss she would never forget. The way his lips had softly yet passionately claimed hers and the way his tongue had battled against her own... just thinking about it made her stomach flutter. He had tasted strong, a faint lingering of spices and he had a herbal smell to him, so unlike in a place like Kadara.  
Sahara bit on her lip as she tried to force her thoughts back out of dangerous territories. Kett... she still had to solve a few Kett issues in Voeld. She should concentrate on that and not let her thoughts linger on how Reyes had held her hand when they escaped the party. 

Sahara looked back at the terminal and hit the key to archive the message. She needed to get him out of her thoughts. He was trouble. He was dangerous. And he was charming and attractive and had such amazingly sensual hands and how his fingers had tangled in her hair when they kissed at the docks ... a kiss that had held so many promises of what he might be capable of with his tongue and lips and... 

Sahara groaned and ran her hands through her hair before flopping down on her chair again.  
Voeld. Lots of ice. Remnant Pillars she still needed to somehow reactivate. Kett. No Reyes Vidal. 

Had it all been a lie when he told her about his reasons for joining the journey to Andromeda? Had Reyes really just played his games with her to gain power? After all, he was someone now. He controlled Kadara Port. Wasn’t that what he wanted? Could she really trust him? How long until he thought the Initiative was another obstacle on his way to more power and he went behind her back? Was there even still a chance after how she had left him in the cave? 

The door to her quarters opened with a soft hiss and Sahara turned on her chair to look who had entered. “Ryder, we just landed on the Nexus,” Liam said with an awkward smile and Sahara nodded. He had probably been sent by the others to check on her.  
She needed to pull herself back together. So much depended on her and her mental stability. She couldn’t let a man like Reyes Vidal mess with her. She was surely not be the first to fall for him... and sadly, probably not the last. She needed to get him out of her thoughts. 

“Thanks, Liam,” Sahara said and rose from her chair. “Tell the others tol take the day off. I will go and see how my brother is doing and tomorrow we’ll head for Voeld.” 

“Roger that, Pathfinder,” Liam replied with a relaxing smile and followed her back out of her room.

\-----------------------------

“This console will activate the purification field. You may want to sweep the area,” SAM’s calm automated voice sounded through Sahara’s head. But she barely registered it. She knew. This wasn’t the first vault they reactivated. But SAM always had the worst timing. Right now they were still under attack, barely keeping the upper hand.

“Get ready!” she ordered without looking where Jaal and Liam were standing. She could hear their breathing over the communication channel and saw movement out of the corner of her eyes as she ducked behind the Remnant console. There were only few Remnant constructs left. She reloaded her pistol and peeked around the corner of her cover. An approaching Assembler went down after getting hit by several of her bullets as well as one of Liam’s grenades. 

Now was her chance. Sahara rose and quickly checked the area. “Area clear!” she heard Jaal say and nodded. Her breathing went fast and she looked over her shoulder. The way back was clear. “Prepare to run!” she shouted and activated the console. The few moments seemed endlessly. Sahara didn’t dare to move her hand before the purification of the area had really started. Then it all happened at once. The blue glow of energy turned red. Steam was rising. There was so much noise.

“Here it comes! Go! Go!” she ordered but didn’t need to tell Jaal and Liam twice. The way back was going to be tough. Sahara had a hard time seeing through the steam as they ran back. She hit her leg against one of the pillars as she had not put enough energy into the jet-powered jump and nearly tripped. Scrambling on top she ignored the pain. There was no time. SAM said something but she didn’t hear it. Adrenaline was pushing her forward. A glance back told her that both Liam and Jaal were up close. Sahara didn’t feel the pain in her leg as she landed hard on the other side of the pillar field, back on safer ground. Safe in terms of running more easily from the purification field. “Don’t fall back!” she yelled and used her jump-jet to get her faster to the console to close the vault up behind them. She hit hard against the structure and tasted blood as she bit her tongue on impact. She hardly noticed the blood on her lips.

“Now!” Liam called as he and Jaal were past the barrier as well and Sahara hastily activated the console. Not too soon the wall closed up behind them and she allowed herself to sink to her knees. 

“Man... I hate this...” she gasped for breath and closed her eyes. 

“You did it, Ryder,” Jaal said and he sounded not less exhausted than she felt. 

“We did it,” Sahara corrected and Liam held out a hand to help her back up to her feet. She suppressed a groan of pain as she tried to walk. Her leg hurt badly. 

“You okay?” Liam asked and looked at her.

“Yeah, nothing Lexi won’t be able to fix... let’s get out of here and back to the Tempest. I feel like I am going back into cryo sleep again if I stay any longer on Voeld,” she tried to jest. She didn’t manage to suppress another groan of pain as she tried to walk. Her leg didn’t seem broken but probably a heavier contusion - but it didn’t support her while walking and she stumbled. Not her first contusion. Probably also not the last. After a moment Sahara gave in to let Liam and Jaal support her while walking back out of the vault and to the Nomad.

\-----------------------------

Lexi had done her medicinal magic and Sahara sat on one of the beds on the small medbay of the Tempest. She was going over data with the help of her omnitool and all readings from Voeld showed that the atmosphere was stabilizing as well. Maybe, one day, the planet wouldn’t be such an icicle any longer. But Sahara doubted that it would happen anytime soon. For now it was at least safe enough to set up an outpost. But it was again not enough. Never enough. The Initiative wanted more outposts, more victories. Sahara closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She wiggled with her toes. Her leg had healed quickly... more quickly than other parts of her. More than anything she wanted to go home - but that was light years away. And the new places she discovered still didn’t feel like home.  
Her thoughts drifted back to Kadara. Hostile, smelly Kadara. Despite everything that place had - even if only for the briefest of moments - felt as if it was not as hostile. It had nearly felt like it would be able to become home. All because of him... 

It had been two weeks since Sahara had left Reyes standing in that dark cave. The dead eyes of Sloane still haunted her dreams. But would she do anything differently now that she knew? Sahara preferred to know that Reyes Vidal was alive and well. If not Sloane it might have been him on the cold, dark ground. Sahara pushed that thought away. Though in terms of stability it didn’t really matter if the Collective or the Outcasts ruled Kadara. However, Reyes was unpredictable where Sloane was a somewhat known variable. But despite everything... she wanted to believe him... 

Sahara was aware that she shouldn’t let emotions guide her decisions. But after escaping the purification field of Voeld’s vault she saw some things differently. She was constantly running from danger. It were either the Kett, the Remnants, or the planets trying to kill her one way or another.  
She missed peace. She missed being able to just forget.  
Damn it, she missed Reyes Vidal. His smile, the way he looked at her... the way he had kissed her. Could even the best liar fake such a kiss? 

Sahara sighed. He had probably already moved on. After two weeks? Most likely.  
But what if there was still a chance?

Sahara climbed down from the bed and looked at her still slightly bruised but otherwise healed leg. She hesitated for a moment before she left the medbay and climbed the ladder to the bridge. 

“Pathfinder, good to see you,” Suvi said with a cheerful smile as Sahara walked through the door. 

“Where are we going today?” Kallo asked and looked over his shoulder. 

Sahara looked at them both in turns as she stood barefoot at the bridge overlooking the frozen planet below them. She had made a decision.  
“We’re going back to Kadara. I have unfinished business to take care of.” 

Suvi frowned for a moment and looked at Kallo who hesitated just briefly before entering the coordinates for the Govorkam system.  
“All systems green. Leaving Voeld orbit,” Kallo said and Sahara nodded in acknowledgement.

\-----------------------------

Kralla’s Song was noisy as ever as Sahara entered the bar. She hoped to get some information on how or where to find Reyes here. Umi, the bartender, looked at her with her usual dark mood as Sahara approached the bar. If the asari was surprised to see her she didn’t show.

Even before Sahara could ask Umi turned around and walked away, only shortly looking into the corner of the bar. Sahara frowned but followed her gaze and held her breath. Reyes Vidal was sitting at a corner table and stared at a glass in his hand. He was alone and Sahara was instantly aware that this was probably her only chance. 

Taking a deep breath she directed her steps towards the table. “You look like you are waiting for someone,” she said and Reyes looked up at her. For a split second surprise flashed over his face before he broke into his usual, charming smile.  
“Ryder,” he said with his smooth, velvet voice. “When the Initiative said they wanted to meet for some... negotiations I had no idea they would send you again.”

“I am actually here on my behalf...” Sahara admitted, not sitting down since she had not been invited. Maybe he wanted her to leave - she would understand. 

“Is that so?” Reyes arched a brow as he looked at her with his intense eyes and Sahara tried to concentrate on a spot on the wall next to him. 

“Yes... can we talk?” she asked, hoping the darkness of the bar would hide the flush on her cheeks.

“Certainly,” Reyes replied and rose. “But let’s go somewhere more private.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reyes and Sahara decide to pick up where they left off...  
> Dialogue is mostly taken from the canon in-game dialogue in the Reyes romance.

“Thought you’d be in the throne room. Tartarus is a little shabby for Kadara’s new leader, don’t you think?” Sahara asked as they had entered the little private room on the first floor of Tartarus. She had expected to be led to somewhere ‘above ground’ on Kadara pPort and not back to the slums. Though Reyes seemed to have some kind of air conditioning in this room since it smelled less badly of sulfur as other parts of the slums. Still, this part of Kadara was not one of Sahara’s favorites. 

Reyes looked at her for a moment and took a seat, offering her to sit on the couch as well. “Come on Ryder, you know I prefer to rule from the shadows.”

That was true. “You are a shady bastard,” Sahara simply said and looked at him evenly. It was not meant as an insult, merely a statement. 

“But a handsome one, right?” Reyes added with a smirk and leaned forward, his face turning more serious again and the smile fading. Now Sahara could see the determination in his eyes again and she was reminded that he was far more calculating than he seemed to be. He knew what he was doing and he knew how to use his smile and charm to lure others into believing he was just a regular smuggler and thief.  
“With Sloane gone, there’s room for the Initiative on Kadara,” he said calmly and fixed Sahara with his eyes. 

“I already started rounding up volunteers for an outpost,” Sahara replied and tried her best to hold the eye contact without looking away. “Might take a while... you exiles have a reputation.”

Reyes chuckled and leaned back again, letting his shoulders visibly relax. “Not all of us are thieves and murderers.” He spread his hands and smiled at her. “I am, but some of the others are perfectly nice.”

She knew damn well what he was. But not even now she could deny that she enjoyed his company, his smile. In his company she could relax despite everything that had happened. “Perfectly nice,” she said drily. 

Reyes had seemingly noticed her hesitation and turned serious again. “Jokes aside. I want this outpost just as much as you do. It will have my full protection. That’s a promise.”

“And for how long do you intend to keep it?” Sahara asked and rose from the sofa to pace the small room. 

“I don’t intend to break promises I made to you,” Reyes said evenly and followed her with his eyes. “Kadara is ours, I mean it. We can work together.” 

Sahara stopped and just looked at him. She wanted to believe him so badly. 

“Ryder, I did intend to tell you who I am. I just didn’t know how or when. I was... worried about what you might think,” Reyes continued after a moment. “You know who I really am and you left. You made clear that you thought, well ... that whatever we had should end.” He rose as well and looked at her with dark eyes. “So why are you really here?” 

The way he looked at her startled Sahara. She instantly felt self cautious like she was watched by a predator who was just waiting for her to make the wrong move. She noticed that she was holding her breath and exhaled.  
“Because... I missed you,” Sahara finally admitted. There was no use denying the truth. She couldn’t tell him that she had been afraid of dying again without ever seeing him one last time and telling him that she was sorry. “I wanted to see your smile... hear your voice...” her voice trailed off and she just looked at him with sadness in her eyes. 

“Sahara...”   
He wanted to say something else but Sahara put up her hands in a gesture that she wanted to say more and he let her continue. “You said you were afraid the truth would change how I looked at you... truth is...” She looked at him now and straightened her back. “I was scared because it didn’t.” She blinked again to not let treacherous tears spill. She tried to find something in his eyes, a sign... anything... “Nothing’s changed,” she finally said. 

Before Sahara could say or do more she suddenly found herself pushed against the wall as Reyes kissed her. All rational thought flew from her mind as she felt his lips hungrily seek out hers. “You have bad taste in men,” Reyes said as he broke the kiss to let his lips trail over her jaw to her neck. 

“The worst,” Sahara sighed and she felt Reyes’s hands on her hips holding her close. He claimed her lips in another heated kiss that left both of them breathless.  
When they parted after what seemed like an endless kiss and Reyes smiled at Sahara before slightly turning away to type something on his omni tool. 

Sahara blinked in mild confusion as unexpected classic jazz started to play. It was definitely something she didn’t expect to hear around Tartarus where heavy beats and stroboscopic lights seemed to dominate. 

“There is something I wanted to do,” Reyes said as he turned to Sahara again and his expression had changed. He seemed less guarded, more open... Sahara couldn’t really put her finger on it. She definitely couldn’t look away from him. 

“You’re up to something. Again...” she said cautiously. 

Reyes chuckled and tilted his head before he gracefully bowed to her and extended a hand to invite her for a dance. “I neglected you on our first date. How about we fix that?” he asked and looked into her eyes with such an intensity it left Sahara momentarily speechless. 

“I didn’t know you had a romantic streak,” she replied as she finally regained her voice and took his hand. 

Pulling her into his arms with one hand on her back and the other holding her hand Sahara wondered for a brief moment where he had learned to dance. it was a skill many men never bothered to pick up. 

“There is a lot you don’t know about me,” Reyes said in a low voice as they slowly danced to the music. His hand rested firmly on the small of her back and Sahara hoped this moment would last forever. They danced in silence for a while, just looking at each other and neither of them daring to break the magic of the moment. 

_“Pathfinder, I detect an above average heart rate for you and Mr. Vidal,”_ SAM suddenly said in their private channel and Sahara nearly stepped on Reyes feet but managed to stop herself and cover it as being clumsy. She decided to ignore SAM - if you could ignore an AI that was implanted in your head. But she didn’t want to think about SAM in the moment and instead rested her head against Reyes’s shoulder. He smelled of expensive whiskey and something else she couldn’t quite place - all she knew and cared about was the fact that she liked being in his arms and feeling his warmth against her body. If this moment could last forever... 

It was Reyes who broke the silence first. “Since leaving the Nexus my survival has depended on secrets. I don’t want any more of those between us, Sahara.”

She chuckled and looked up at his face. “I am an open book. You’re the encrypted one, Reyes Vidal,” she said in a teasing voice that earned her a chuckle from Reyes before he pulled her closer. She could feel the firm muscles of his chest underneath his clothes.

“What?” Sahara asked with a smirk as he said nothing for a few moments. 

“I was about to say something cheesy,” Reyes admitted and put the other hand on her back pulling her into an embrace. 

Sahara put her arms around his neck and searched his eyes for an answer. “Say it,” she whispered against his ear and felt his breath hitch for a moment. They stopped and he simply looked into her eyes for a long moment. 

“Consider me hacked,” Reyes said in a breathy voice and sealed her lips in another passionate kiss. His tongue brushed against her lips and Sahara willingly gave in to him.  
“Stay with me tonight,” he said as he broke the kiss for a moment to look into her eyes. Sahara had never seen a man look at her with such an intensity as Reyes did in that moment. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips tingled from the kiss.

“Of course,” she replied and gave a surprised shriek as he suddenly pulled her down on the sofa and in another endless kiss.

  
_a picture of Reyes Vidal and Sahara which I did... it suits the chapter somehow_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The (final) fourth chapter will have no real plot but the smut part... since I fear I don't write decent smut I will put it in a separate chapter so people can easily skip it ^^"
> 
> The fourth chapter is postponed until I can write more decent smut (I need to be in the right mindset for that...)


End file.
